Prometheus 6

“There are no reports that any of the crew is injured,” Mr. Choong said. “Normally, the pirates would treat the crew well.”

Pirates Seize Ship With U.S. Crew Off Coast of Somalia
By SHARON OTTERMAN

Pirates commandeered a United States-flagged container ship with 20 American crew members off the coast of Somalia on Wednesday, in what appeared to be the first time an American-crewed ship was seized by pirates in the area.

The container ship, the Maersk Alabama, was carrying thousands of tons of relief aid to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, the company that owns the ship said.

The ship was taken by pirates at about 7:30 a.m. local time, 280 miles southeast of the Somali city of Eyl, a known haven for pirates, a spokesman for the United States Navy said. The ship is owned and operated by Maersk Line Limited, a United States subsidiary of A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, the Danish shipping giant.

The Maersk Alabama was at least the sixth commercial ship commandeered by pirates in the last week off the Horn of Africa, one of the most notoriously lawless zones on the high seas, where pirates have been operating with near impunity despite efforts by many nations, including the United States, to intimidate them with naval warship patrols.

There was no additional information immediately available about the crew, the company said in a statement.

“Our initial concern is to ensure proper support of the crew and assistance to their families,” the Maersk statement said.